Nobelist presses case on climate change

Nobel laureate Mario Molina, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California San Diego, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this year from President Barack Obama.
— Howard Lipin

Nobel laureate Mario Molina, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California San Diego, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom later this year from President Barack Obama.
— Howard Lipin

A: The scientific community has done a fairly poor job communicating the science to the public. And on the opposition side there has been a very well financed and organized campaign to question climate science. There are Republicans in Congress who are opposed not so much because of economic interests but because of the worry about government intervention in people’s lives. That’s grossly exaggerated in connection with climate change because obviously government often can do a very positive job in improving people’s lives.

We should just make it clear that the consensus of scientists is not that climate change is perfectly understood and that we can project with certainty what will happen. But what is very clear is that we are already seeing indications of climate change and that it is very likely that they have to do with human activities. Consequently, it is very clear that there is a risk, and that is what society needs to know in terms of acting or not acting.

Q: But does it suggest that the public has lost some of the trust that it once had in science?

A: It does suggest that. But here is a contradiction. Obviously, the public trusts science; we all fly in airplanes that used to be very dangerous. Science has made them very safe. We all use gadgets like cellphones, which are entirely based on the progress of science. But you don’t trust science when it tells you to do things such as be more efficient in using energy? What has been exaggerated is that science is uncertain and that, consequently, you don’t know the absolute truth.

Q: We’ve heard that climate change could contribute to more heat waves and wildfires in Southern California. The key word here is “contribute.” What is the average person to make of that?

A: These extreme events happen naturally, but their intensity is being affected by climate change, so it is much more likely that you will have not just a heat wave, but a very severe heat wave. That’s probability. That’s the sort of thing people are accustomed to thinking about.